Te Amo
by Akuma
Part 7
After Colony 197
Late April
The Japanese boy walked out of the bathroom, face pale and body trembling slightly. His t-shirt couldn't conceal the obvious bulge of his stomach. Slowly and carefully, he walked toward his desk and sat down, reaching for his blue book.
22nd of April, AC 197
Little Shinigami becomes bigger, Odin. I have difficulty bending over now, not to mention the increasing visits to the bathroom. But then, it's the proof that he's growing just fine.
I'm thinking about buying a house for him, Odin. I don't want him to grow up in a laboratory like this. He deserves a better place. A house not too small and not too big. It'll have a yard where he can play with his friends and maybe a garden if I can afford it. Do you think he will like it, Odin?
Beep...beep...beep
The Japanese boy stopped writing and walked slowly toward the videophone. Carefully standing so only his face would be visible on the screen, he pressed the answering machine. "Heero Yuy."
"Finally! I thought you were out somewhere." A loud voice boomed. Impatience and irritation were clearly heard.
"Duo, what..."
"I can't stand it anymore!" Duo cut in. "She doesn't let me touch her stomach! Damn it, I want to feel my child in there! And not to mention she has forced me to remain celibate for the past three months! Honestly Heero, you'd think a pregnant woman would want to be hugged and caressed by her husband but no, she even requested a separated bedroom for her!"
"Du..."
"She asks too much! New clothes, jewelries, furniture, food.. luckily my company goes so well that I can afford all of them, but I think it's too much even for a pregnant woman! The fucking doctor doesn't help any. He encourages me to fulfill every one of her wishes!" Duo panted. His face was red and his eyes showed frustration. He closed his eyes for some minutes and when he opened them back, he had regained control over his emotions. "Gomen Heero.... " Duo slumped against the chair behind him. "I shouldn't vent my anger on you..."
The Japanese boy just shook his head. "Are you feeling better now?"
"Aa..." Duo sighed. "I never thought being a husband would be this hard..."
"It's worth it. You'll have a child at the end."
"Aa... you're right." Duo smiled slightly. "I'm going to be a father."
Off the screen, the Japanese boy put one hand over his stomach. "Yes, you'll be......"
"It's been a long time since I've talked to you.... " Duo frowned. "You look paler, Heero."
"I'm fine." Heero said quickly. "You look taller, Duo."
Duo grinned. "Four inches to be exact. I think I will grow more."
"Good for you then." Heero looked thoughtful for a minute. "Have you thought of a name for your child, Duo?"
"Yeah." Duo nodded. "It's Helen Maxwell."
"Helen? You're having a daughter?"
"Dr. Philip said so."
"What if it's a boy?" The Japanese boy unconsciously caressed his stomach off the screen
"Solo then. Solo Maxwell." Duo smiled. "I gotta go now. Need to finish my work. Thank you for listening to my rambling, Heero." Duo smiled and then the screen went blank.
"Solo...." The Japanese boy murmured as he looked at the now blank screen. He then slowly walked back toward his desk and sat down, resuming his writing.
Duo called, Odin.
It's a good thing that I'm not so emotional today that I couldn't handle Duo's call just fine. I don't understand why Hilde doesn't let Duo caress her stomach though. I'll trade anything to have Duo caress my child and me as well....... And for her to even ask Duo not to touch her and sleep separately is really a big question mark for me. My body cries for his touch. Every night I want him at my side, comforting me when the pain comes........
But then, I'm happy Duo called today. I had him name our son without him even knowing it.
Solo..... my little Shinigami.... You're Solo Maxwell, though I probably won't reveal your last name to you.... I hope you'll forgive me when I refuse to tell you your last name .......
I don't want to ruin Duo's happiness....
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After Colony 197
Early May
Duo frowned. He had been frowning since morning. He felt like he had forgotten something important but he couldn't remember what it was......
"Duo, stop frowning. Look, do I look good in this dress?" Hilde stepped out from the changing room and turned around slowly.
Duo forced a smile. "Yes it looks good on you." They had been in the mall since the morning since Hilde wanted new clothes to suit her growing body. He eyed the piles of clothes Hilde had chosen. "Have you got all the clothes you want?"
"Are you kidding? I haven't gotten half of the clothes I want." Hilde scorned.
Duo sighed and resigned to his fate, accompanying his now picky wife.
Meanwhile, away from the mall, a Japanese boy sat at his desk in the laboratory, a small glass box on his right hand. He looked longingly at the small white figure inside the box while he sometimes stole a glance to the clock on the wall. After looking at the white figure for a long, long time, he set it down and reached for his blue diary.
2nd of May, AC 197
Duo didn't call, probably Hilde kept him busy.... I know he doesn't have to call me.... but ... I wish he would.... I really wish he would.....
It hurts, Odin. It hurts so much that when I finally have a date to celebrate my birthday, I have no one to celebrate it with..... I don't expect him to give me a present.... I just want him to remember me, to show that he somewhat still cares for me.....
I wanna go back....
Go back to the time where I had Duo at my side........
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After Colony 197
Late May
"Tomato, peanuts, apples..." Duo grunted as he grabbed the said items and shoved them in his basket. He was used to fancy shopping by now, but he felt forced. Hilde had come to the time where she didn't want to do any work so that left Duo to take care of himself and his wife. It might not have been so bad if not for the fact that Hilde still wouldn't let him touch her stomach. Dr. Philip also told him not to force his wife to do anything and always grant his wife's requests.
To tell the truth, Duo was tired of doing these mundane things. If not for the baby and his love for Hilde, he might have retaliated by ignoring Hilde. He just wished that he could caress his child, hear the beating of her tiny heart, and feel his child kick against her mother's stomach... ...... Unfortunately Dr. Philip said that some mothers disliked their spouse touching them during pregnancy and Hilde was one of them.
Damn! He wanted to touch his child!!! Duo shoved the milk cartoons into his basket and turned around to head toward the cashier, only to bump against someone, causing them to drop the apples on their hands. "Sorry." Duo said quickly. He knelt down to pick up the apples and came face to face with a bulging stomach covered with soft clothes. He was stunned as he realized he had bumped into a pregnant woman.
Strange thing was he suddenly felt the urge to caress the bulging flesh. Was it because of the woman's lavender scent or because of the warmth radiating from her, Duo didn't know. His body acted automatically and Duo found his right hand already caressing the rounded flesh slowly. It felt so delicate and soft against his palm. How he had wanted to touch, to caress Hilde's stomach like this.
Not aware of the surprised gasp from the pregnant woman, Duo rested his head lightly on the rounded flesh, ear pressed against it. He closed his eyes and for some seconds all sounds vanished, except for the faint throbbing of a new life beneath the flesh and the soft breathing of the mother. "My child..." Duo whispered as he nuzzled the velvety flesh and then slowly he turned his head and delivered a kiss against the clothed stomach. "My beloved child..." He murmured longingly and his hand wondered lower and slipped beneath the loose dress, wanting to caress the soft flesh directly.
The mother gave a sharp gasp and the next second, Duo found himself shoved to the floor amongst the apples. He blinked in surprise and his mind returned from its sudden vacation of a few seconds ago. What the... What the hell had he done???!!! Duo quickly looked up and saw the mother huddled against the wall, hands around her belly. With her head bowed and shoulders hunched, she seemed so fragile and scared. It struck him that he was just so close to harassing a pregnant woman by slipping his hand under her dress.
He stood quickly and took a step back, putting distance between them for the mother's sake. "So...sorry, ma'am. I didn't mean to do that. I'm really sorry. My wife is also pregnant and she doesn't let me touch her stomach so I ..... " Duo was at the loss of words. It seemed nothing he said would justify his recent actions. He looked at the woman, trying to see her face but her long blonde hair hid it beneath. Finally not knowing what to do, Duo bowed his head. "I'm really, really sorry. It won't happen again. My name is Duo Maxwell, the owner of Maxwell Salvage Company. If you want to sue me for my actions, feel free to do it. I won't deny it."
The woman just kept silent, not moving from her spot on the wall. Duo took his business card from his wallet and slowly knelt down, putting it on the floor. And then he stood up slowly, not wanting to surprise the woman.
"I'll leave you now. There's my busniess card on the floor if you want to charge me for what I have done. I'm really sorry for doing it." He then walked away from the woman, knowing she would feel safer without him near her.
What he didn't know was the woman's blue eyes watched his retreating back until he disappeared before she removed herself from the wall and knelt slowly to pick up the card. Tracing one finger on the card, the woman whispered longingly.
"Duo....."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
23rd of May, AC 197
I met Duo this morning when I went out shopping, Odin. Gratefully, he didn't recognize me in my disguise. He caressed my stomach and kissed it gently, whispering about his child. It stunned me for a moment. I never thought I would get caressed again........
I have missed it..... sorely missed his touch....
Was it good or bad that I quickly realized what was happening and shoved him away? I was really afraid at that moment that he would recognize me and all hell would break lose.... gratefully, he decided to walk away. I don't know what I would have done if he had touched me....... I was so close to rushing into his arms and spilling everything to him....
Me and my unstable emotions.....
Hilde is a fool not to let Duo caress her stomach.... Duo is a passionate person and he must be so desperate to touch his unborn daughter that he resorted to touching a pregnant stranger.... Fortunately it was me..... I should thank Hilde for that. Because of her, Solo had a touch from his father.....
Still..... I wished I was Hilde.....
I missed Duo so much......
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After Colony 197
Early June
"Angels watching, e'er around thee,
All through the night
Midnight slumber close surround thee,
All through the night..."
The Japanese boy sitting against the headboard hummed softly, one hand caressing his swelling belly.
"Soft the drowsy hours are creeping,
Hill and dale in slumber slee..OH."
The soft hum was replaced with a gasp of pain. The Japanese boy needed some seconds to recover and when he did, he looked down at his belly and murmured questioningly. "Solo?..... You just kicked?"
The Japanese boy gasped in pain again. He smiled slightly and caressed his stomach. "I guess that's a yes then. Ah!" The boy had both hands on his stomach now. "Don't get too excited in there, little Shinigami." Still smiling slightly, the boy then continued humming.
"Soft the drowsy hours are creeping,
Hill and dale in slumber sleeping
I my loved ones' watch am keeping,
All through the night......"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~
7th of June, AC 197
Odin! Solo just kicked!! Not once, he kicked repeatedly. I felt like I was in hell and heaven all at the same time. I'm glad he kicks a lot but the pain is almost unbearable..... Anyway, it's worth it.
Solo really takes after his father. He can't stay still for five minutes. I bet he'll be as vivacious as Duo. I wonder what he'll be like when he grows up. He will possibly inherit his father's agility and stealth with the enthusiasm he showed just now.
Anyway, whatever he chooses to be later, as long as it isn't destructive, I won't mind. I just hope he'll stay with me till it's the time for him to have his own family.....
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After Colony 197
Middle of June
The quiet laboratory was filled with gasps of pain from the Japanese boy lying on the bed. His eyes were closed and his face contorted in pain while his hands were around his swelling belly. He trembled and jerked every few minutes. "Duo...." The Japanese boy whimpered and tried to roll to his side but failed. He was too heavy now.
The lavender flowers in the pot on the desk was the only living being that witnessed the boy's suffering and they could do nothing to help him. They could only watch as the boy whimpered and called for his ex lover longingly over and over, one hand raised as if wanting to reach something ..... Someone.... But then it fell down dejectedly as the boy realized no one would catch his reaching hand. It repeated again and again, hand raised and then down, accompanying by longing whimpers and gasps of pain.
It was one hour later did the boy stopped gasping and jerking. His breath slowly became steady and soon the boy feel asleep, too tired to move or do anything else. The pain would come back four-five hours later, waking the boy from his slumber.
Far away from the cold and secluded laboratory, in a large house with three stories, a woman sat on the chair, speaking to someone on the videophone. "When will you do the operation, Philip?"
"At the end of the month. I have calculated the timing and it's the best time for delivery." A white bearded man on the screen answered.
The short haired woman nodded. "Very well, I'll find a way to get rid of my husband around that time."
"Good. You'll have the child by the end of this month. Mrs. Maxwell."
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